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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. kid — child
  3. sharp — clever
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. swing — in golf
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. deal — to handle
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. kid — to tease
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. swing — music
  17. saw — the tool
  18. swing — to play on
  19. saw — the tool
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. deal — an agreement

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com